Latecomer Greg Larson Leads City Council Candidate Fundraising

City Council candidate Greg Larson was the last one to jump into an already crowded Santa Cruz race, but heโ€™s wasted no time in sprinting to the front of the fundraising pack.

As of Monday, Sept. 22, Larson had raised $29,382, according to financial disclosure forms. His total is buoyed by 36 big donations from individualsโ€”like Analicia Cube, William Ow, Charles Canfield, Caleb Baskin, and former state Controller Steve Westlyโ€”who each gave the maximum $350. Such donations account for more than a third of Larsonโ€™s fundraising total. Larson, a former Los Gatos city manager, also took out a $10,000 loan, and heโ€™s spent about that much already, giving him nearly $30,000 still on hand.

City Councilmember Richelle Noroyan, the raceโ€™s only incumbent, has raised the second most, with $25,465, while environmental consultant Donna Meyers is third in the money marathon with $25,193 raised.

Also in the race for these three council seats is progressive candidate Justin Cummings, an environmental educator, who has raised $15,426. Meanwhile, like-minded community organizer Drew Glover, who has earned many of the same endorsements, has pulled in close to $10,000. Glover announced last spring that he would halt fundraising to focus on connecting with voters instead.

Five other candidates have raised less than $6,000: Phillip Crawford, Cynthia Hawthorne, Ashley Scontriano, Dave King, and Paige Concannonโ€”the latter of whom, if elected, would be the first Republican to serve on the council in years.

Film Review: โ€˜Lizzieโ€™

The dark, historical melodrama Lizzie is not for the squeamish. Granted, nobody squeamish would be interested in a movie about notorious accused axe murderess Lizzie Borden in the first place. Just be warned: we get to see (and hear) every one of those fabled โ€œwhacks.โ€

But whatโ€™s more profound in Craig William Macneilโ€™s atmospheric retelling of the tale (and more timely) is its somber portrait of patronizing male power and long-simmering feminine fury that lead up to the famous climax. Itโ€™s almost irresistible to assign a feminist slant to the story of a spinster accused of killing her ย domineering father (along with her stepmother). But while Borden was acquitted of the crime at her trial, history is still unresolved about what actually happened on that sweltering August day in 1892.

This encourages Macneil and scriptwriter Bryce Kass to submit a plausibly researched version of events as they might have played out, and why. In this, they are influenced by Chloe Sevigny, one of the producers of the movie (along with Kass), who also stars as Lizzie, in a project she has been trying to get made for years. History may not officially assign blame for the Borden murders, but Sevigny and Kass meticulously build a case for their candidate, while keeping the audience guessing right up to the end. Only a crawling narrative pace and repetitive last act mar the filmโ€™s effectiveness.

The well-to-do Borden family of Fall River, Massachusetts, is introduced through the eyes of heir newly arrived Irish housemaid, Bridget (Kristen Stewart). Stoic matriarch, Abby (Fiona Shaw) runs the household for her iron-willed husband, Andrew (Jamey Sheridan), who dabbles in real estate and manufacturing, and Andrewโ€™s two adult daughters, Emma (Kim Dickens) and Lizzie (Sevigny). Unlike her tractable sister, Lizzie is rebellious at heart; she defies her father by going out to the opera unescorted, her only โ€œrespite,โ€ she says, from Andrewโ€™s tyrannical rules at home.

Andrewโ€™s tyranny soon extends to his possessive attitude toward Bridget, on whom he forces his sexual attentions night after night. But Bridget finds a kindred spirit in Lizzie, who teaches the young Iris hwoman to read, and the two of them dare to become friends. But tension between Lizzie and her controlling father (he acts out against her pet pigeons when she displeases him) are further roiled by the arrival of slippery โ€œUncle Johnโ€ (Denis Oโ€™Hare), brother of Andrewโ€™s deceased first wife, into whose grasping, unreliable hands Lizzie fears her father is going to turn over management of the sistersโ€™ large inheritance.

In Macneilโ€™s hands, it all proceeds like a horror movieโ€”as befits these horrific eventsโ€”but a slow, stately one, as the intense psychological drama unfolds. Large, sparsely furnished rooms are silent as the furtive camera peeks around doorways and down long, gloomy passages. Mysterious messages of foreboding are discovered throughout the house. Music is either sepulchral, or nervy and frenetic, designed to keep viewers on edge.

But pacing finally becomes a problem. While each shot is artfully composed (kudos to cinematographer Noah Greenberg),

way too much time is spent, say, lingering over fabric, buttons and lace (signifying, I suppose, how literally corseted the women are). When Lizzie and Bridgetโ€™s friendship blossoms into physical attraction, the pivotal moment loses some of its impact because the filmmakers canโ€™t bear to tear themselves awayโ€”just as they spend a little too long inviting us to study the gruesome makeup job on one of the hacked-up corpses.

And once the culprits are revealed, we return to the crime scene over and over again, from various viewpoints, while the audience grows more and more restive. Itโ€™s a frustrating hiccup at the end of a generally persuasive and thoughtful portrait of gender and power.

LIZZIE

**1/2 (out of four)

With Chloe Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, and Jamey Sheridan. Written by Bryce Kass. Directed by Craig William Macneil. A Roadside Attractions release. Rated R. 105 minutes.

If Tonight Was Your Last Night on Earth, What Would You Do?

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“Go on a boat, play music, help a stranger, buy flowers.”

Daniel Le

Santa Cruz
Music Teacher

“I would go out with my lovely wife Carmen and we’d just play it out.”

Todd Wuellner

Tempe, Arizona
Ebay Superseller

“Listen to all my favorite soundtracks with a really expensive bottle of French wine.”

Grace Chung

Santa Cruz
Film Student

“Drive to San Francisco and go balls out.”

Diana Bucio

Santa Cruz
Student

“Swim in the ocean with my favorite craft beer.”

Summer Peterson

San Francisco
Respiratory Therapist

5 Things to Do in Santa Cruz Sept. 26-Oct. 2

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A weekly guide to whatโ€™s happening.

Green Fix

Dyeing Wool with Invasive Plants Workshop

Oh, invasive plants, what are we going to do with you? Perhaps rip you out of the ground, mash you up and use you to dye clothes? Join the folks at UCSCโ€™s Arboretum to learn about harvesting plants for color using fire mimicry and wild-tending techniques. This workshop will include both hands-on and lecture portions that go over techniques for how to preserve natural ecosystems and convert plants into natural dyes. Participants will leave with wool to use for their own projects. Bring a bag lunch and hurry to register, the class is limited to 18 people.

INFO: Saturday, Sept. 29. UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz. 502-2998. arboretum.ucsc.edu. $50 members, $65 non-members, plus a $15 materials fee.

Art Seen

Between The Lines: Artworks by Jake McCue

Watsonville native Jake McCueโ€™s work is a colorful expression of pigmented squares, circles, and numbers layered onto salvaged paper. He describes them as โ€œartworks of the time space continuumโ€ that play into visual perspectives up close and far away. McCueโ€™s out-of-this-world work only runs for a couple more daysโ€”check it out while thereโ€™s still time.

INFO: On display through Sept. 29, noon-6 p.m. Felix Kulpa Gallery. 107 Elm St., Santa Cruz. felixkulpa.com. Free.

Wednesday 9/26

Food Not Bombs Concert

American indie singer/songwriter and anarchist David Rovics is on the Musical History Tour and making a stop in Santa Cruz. His concert will benefit the Food Not Bombs efforts to feed anyone and everyone, regardless of income. His music includes subjects like war, poverty, anti-globalization and social justice issues. Rovics has been an outspoken critic of capitalism, the American political system and the arrests of Food Not Bombs volunteers.

INFO: 7 to 9 p.m. โ€จLouden Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz. 800-884-1136. foodnotbombs.net. $10 admission recommended, no one turned away for lack of funds.

Monday 9/24-Sunday 9/30

Sea Otter Awareness Week

Join the Seymour Marine Discovery Center for their annual sea otter pop-up exhibit highlighting how cute and cuddly sea lions are, but more importantly their vital role in the nearshore ecosystem. Call or check online for specific weekend events.

INFO: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Seymour Marine Discovery Center. 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz. 459-3800. seymourcenter.ucsc.edu. $9 adult admission, $7 children.

Saturday 9/28 and Sunday 9/29

โ€˜I Inherited Thisโ€™

Letโ€™s answer some of lifeโ€™s greatest questions: What does it mean to be human? What is it to have relationships, desires, influences? โ€œI Inherited Thisโ€ is a unique non-commentary performance about human behavior, relationships, and imagination. It questions the mystery, desire, influence, and emptiness that dictate our decision making, all set to Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor (first movement) by Camille Saint-Saรซns, and an original composition by Craig Harris, โ€œPrelude to the Afternoon of a Faun by Claude Debussy.โ€ Photo: Mara Milam.

INFO: 8 p.m. Motion Pacific. 131 Front Street #E., Santa Cruz. 457-1616. motionpacific.com. $10-$20.

Love Your Local Band: Fascinating Creatures of The Deep

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Adrian Cavlan has been playing music in local bands for a long time. Well, there was about a 15-year gap where he wasnโ€™t. But when he returned to music, he noticed that if the leader of the band decided to end the project, a guitarist like himself was kind of screwed.

โ€œI was very tired of being in bands with other people who are the essential ingredient to keep the band going. I was like, โ€˜If I ever do this again, I want to be that guy,โ€ Cavlan says.

But he couldnโ€™t sing, so what were his options? Then one day a friend suggested he check out instrumental L.A. surf band the Slacktones, and he had an epiphany. If he started an instrumental surf band, he could be that guy.

Songs immediately started pouring out of him. He noticed that all of these other elements like punk and prog-rock were popping out into the mix, too. So he just went with it.

โ€œThereโ€™s a lot of shading and coloring that goes on in our music, as opposed to just plain straight, bouncy, fun, surf dance music,โ€ Cavlan says.

The band has been chugging along for nine years, and has written so many originals that it can play for hours. They know some surf standards, too, just in case they get booked for a corporate gig and want to give them some popular favorites.

Over the years, the songwriting has slowed down, but just recently Cavlan has been โ€œvisited by the muse again,โ€ and has a whole new batch of tunes to flush out.

โ€œIโ€™m very excited about that. Itโ€™s been a long time since Iโ€™ve been that prolific,โ€ Cavlan says. โ€œThis band is basically a bunch of guys who are a little bit older who still like playing music. It makes it easy if you have friends who are talented.โ€ย 

INFO: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28. Catalyst. 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $20/adv, $22/door. 423-1338.

Music Picks: Sept. 26-Oct. 2

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Live music highlights for the week of September 26, 2018

WEDNESDAY 9/26

BLUEGRASS

SHAKY HAND STRING BAND

Is there a difference between mountain-grass and standard old-timey bluegrass? This is the debate you will be having if you check out Coloradoโ€™s beloved finger-pickin quartet the Shaky Hand String Band. Instrumentally, these guys pluck with the finesse of the suit-wearing, cowboy-hat sporting traditionalists. But itโ€™s just a wee bit more laid back. After all, these guys do call the Rocky Mountains home, and have a certain lifestyle that comes through in the song. Their bio describes it as โ€œdogs, food, love, drinking, and all lifeโ€™s questions.โ€ Hey, that sounds an awful lot like Santa Cruz-grass! AARON CARNES

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Flynnโ€™s Cabaret & Steakhouse, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $15. 335-2800.

 

WEDNESDAY 9/26

JAZZ

AL DI MEOLA

At the age of 19, Al Di Meola was hired to play with jazz giants Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. What better way to start off an amazing four-decade-long career? Now recognized as one of the worldโ€™s top jazz guitarists, Di Meola has recorded dozens of albums, collaborating with a whoโ€™s who of musicians from all over the world. On Sept. 26, heโ€™ll be joined by Jordan Rudessโ€”voted โ€œBest Keyboardist of All Timeโ€ by Music Radar magazineโ€”for a night of two stars burning bright. MAT WEIR

INFO: 8 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $39/gen, $52/gold. 423-8209.

 

THURSDAY, 9/27

FOLK/COUNTRY

JOHN DOE FOLK TRIO

Musicians who survive their youth often wind up in a whole other genre. For John Doe, that has been a step away from incendiary punk and a return to the rural sounds of his youth: country, folk, and the wisdom of a dusty road. Since the last X record in 1993, Doe has released 11 solo albums (more than Xโ€™s whole discography), all of which show the continued relevance of his poetic songwriting. With his folk trio, Doe reorients the scrappiness of punk in the desert landscapes of his growing modern canon. MIKE HUGUENOR

INFO: 8:30 p.m. Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Drive, Santa Cruz. $22/adv, $25/door. 479-1854.

 

THURSDAY 9/27

AMERICANA

THE SMOKING FLOWERS

The Smoking Flowersโ€™ 2018 album Letโ€™s Die Together plays like a Southern gothic, country-rock version of a famous Hunter S. Thompson quote. You know, the one about how we should arrive at the end of our lives used up, worn out, and thinking, โ€œWow! What a ride!โ€ Two decades of marriage will do that to a couple. They certainly know how to express the grit and beauty of two lives lived in unison. The bandโ€™s musicality melds the best of roots music, blues and punk, creating a sound full of raucous energy, scratchy-voiced harmonies, and sweet duets, like Bonnie and Clyde celebrating the heist of the century. AMY BEE

INFO: 9 p.m., Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.

 

SATURDAY 9/29

SYNTH-POP

GEOGRAPHER

San Franciscoโ€™s Geographer makes easy-going synth-pop. Frontman Mike Deni does it with semi-personal, and occasionally lovesick lyrics, but keeps a certain distance with his sultry voice and playboy charm. The music reigns in epic synth overtones with sincere piano riffs and the occasional snapping of fingers for percussion. It keeps the whole endeavor genuine without being too vulnerable or sentimental. Fans are sure to get lost in the slow-moving rhythms as they nod their way across the dance floor, feeling sensual and connected as the vape smoke surrounds them. AB

INFO: 9 p.m., Catalyst, Catalyst. 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 423-1338.

 

SATURDAY 9/29

ELECTRONIC

THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Since its debut in 2010, the Human Experience has built a discography of unique electronic music that defies boundaries. From collaborating with folk musicians like Rising Appalachia to switching his live performances between a DJ set and a live band, David Block is constantly leaving his audience guessing. MW

INFO: 9 p.m. Moeโ€™s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $15/adv, $18/door. 479-1854.

 

SUNDAY, 9/30

REGGAE/PUNK

FAYUCA

In their most recent music video, Fayuca are luchador-masked rebels, leading a warehouse of protesters against an oppressive regime. The video for โ€œPor Que Seguirโ€ is a timely statement, coming shortly before the Trump administration moved millions of dollars from FEMA into the coffers of border-trawling ICE. And for a group of Latinx musicians from Phoenix (home of Sheriff Joe Arpaio), it isnโ€™t just artโ€”itโ€™s their lives. Fayucaโ€™s blend of dub, reggae, punk, and Latin rock comes off sounding like a natural outgrowth of their home, culture, passions, and beliefs. Si se puede. MH

INFO: 9 p.m. The Catalyst Atrium, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. $10/adv, $15/door. 429-4135.

 

MONDAY 10/1

JAZZ

LOGAN RICHARDSON

Restlessly creative alto saxophonist Logan Richardson had already established himself as a powerful voice on the New York jazz scene with his 2016 major label debut Shift, a startlingly confident session featuring guitar legend Pat Metheny as a sideman. A native of Kansas City, where he absorbed jazz and blues history firsthand from legends such as Jay McShann and Claude โ€œFiddlerโ€ Williams, Richardson has been based in Paris for several years. He kicks off a West Coast tour celebrating the release of his sci-fi inspired new album Blues People in Santa Cruz with a killer young quartet from Kansas City including guitarist Igor Osypov and drummer Ryan J. Lee (who both play on the album) and electric bassist Dominique Sanders. ANDREW GILBERT

INFO: 7 p.m. Kuumbwa Jazz, 320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. $: $26.25/adv, $31.50/door. 427-2227.

 

THURSDAY 10/2

CELTIC-FOLK

HERON VALLEY

If you want a taste of the modern Celtic-influenced music currently coming out of Scotland, mark your calendars for Heron Valleyโ€™s upcoming show at Michaelโ€™s on Main. The five-piece has an exciting, emotive sound that is just a couple hairs away from what a lot of indie-folk bands here in the states are strumming. Just add some bagpipes and a whistle, and let your imagination fill in the blanks. AC

INFO: 7:30 p.m. Michaelโ€™s on Main, 2591 S. Main St., Soquel. $17/adv, $20/door. 479-9777.

Soquel Vineyardsโ€™ Pinot Grigio is Good as Gold

For a mere $15, you can get a terrific bottle of 2017 Pinot Grigio from Soquel Vineyards. Medium-bodied and richly textured, this easy-drinking white wine is good to have on hand for the rest of summer and into fall.

Winery owner partners Peter and Paul Bargetto (who are twins) and Jon Morgan say, โ€œThis is our first venture into making Pinot Grigio, and itโ€™s a great one. Full of floral aromas with notes of pear, apple and grapefruit, and a clean citrus finish, our Pinot Grigio is elegant, refined and true to varietal characteristics.โ€ Itโ€™s also richly textured, and pairs well with poultry and seafood. With its easy-to-open screw cap, it can be your go-to bottle.

A recent visit to Soquel Vineyardsโ€™ welcoming tasting room and beautiful outdoor patio led me to the tasty Pinot Grigioโ€”a refreshing libation with its tangy and layered mouthfeel. Many of Soquel Vineyardsโ€™ wines have won gold medals, and I think the Pinot Grigio deserves one, too.

Soquel Vineyards is a delightful place to visitโ€”and to be surrounded by lush vines as you take in the view of the Monterey Bay.

Soquel Vineyards, 8063 Glen Haven Road, Soquel, 462-9045. soquelvineyards.com

Taste of Carmel

Taste of Carmel is an action-packed food and wine event featuring something for every palate. With a theme of โ€œWild Wild Fest,โ€ you can bring out your Western gear and have a down-home good time. The event is 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 at Carmel Mission Courtyard, 3080 Rio Road, Carmel.

Visit tasteofcarmel.org for more info.

Farm-to-Table Dinner at Chaminade

Thereโ€™s still time to get tickets for the last of Chaminadeโ€™s al fresco farm-to-table dinners on Friday, Sept. 28. This one features the wonderful wines of Alfaro Family Vineyards & Winery, with ultra-fresh produce from Route 1 Farms. Hors dโ€™oeuvres are served at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $86 per person, plus tax and gratuity. An abundance of good food is served, with plenty of wine to accompany every course.

Chaminade Resort and Spa, One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, 475-5600. chaminade.com.

Opinion: September 26, 2018

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EDITOR’S NOTE

This weekโ€™s cover story gave me an unsettling case of dรฉjร  vu. When I was starting out at the Register-Pajaronian in the โ€™90s, I did some reporting on the fight against the use of the methyl bromide in the Pajaro Valley strawberry fields. There was a lot of activism in and around those fields back then; I covered huge United Farm Workers marches that pushed their way onto the front page every day with the thousands of workers and supporters they drew to the streets of Watsonville, and the dangers of pesticide exposure was one of their central concerns.

What made it so frustrating to report on methyl bromide back then was the general lack of scientific understanding about how pesticides affect human health. Workers feared that they were in danger, and that their health problems were related to pesticide use, but there wasnโ€™t a lot of research that wasnโ€™t done by chemical companies with an obvious conflict of interest.

Watching Georgia Johnson do exhaustive research on her cover story this week, trying to get concrete answers about the problems teachers in Pajaro Valley perceive with their close proximity to pesticides, I realized that some things have changed since thenโ€”but some things havenโ€™t. Yes, methyl bromide is mostly out of circulation; and yes, there is now some startling medical research about pesticide danger. But what struck me most is what hasnโ€™t changed, especially the fear and uncertainty that people who work close to the fields still feel. Itโ€™s a powerful and important story, and I hope weโ€™re not writing it again in another 20 years.

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Read the latest letters to the editor here.

L NO!

Measure L appears as an advisory measure in support of a bicycle and pedestrian path over the Capitola Trestle. By itself, that would not be a bad thing, although it is an expensive way to support something the approved Regional Transportation Commission Master Plan already envisions. Unfortunately, Measure L also ties the hands of the elected Capitola City Council when it comes to planning what bike riders and pedestrians will be able to do until the trestle is made safe enough and wide enough to carry some form of transit and the bike/pedestrian path. Trail users will just have to decide for themselves what to do when they are riding or walking on the trail and it comes to the Capitola Trestle. If Measure L passes, Capitola will be prohibited from doing any planning or spending any money on signage, temporary road or sidewalk improvements. Vote No on L.

Mike Rotkin | Santa Cruz

ALTERNATIVES MUST CO-EXIST

The letters last week regarding the railroad tracks suggested that the sensible thing to do would be to pave over the tracks, and also that trains are of the past and not the present and future. ย Both assertions are wrong.

The sensible thing to do would be for this county, in a public/private enterprise, to improve the tracks so that a modern light-rail system could operate on it. Anyone who would want to take the time should look at Campaign for Sensible Transportationโ€™s website, in which there are videos which portray the latest state-of-the-art electrically operated rail vehicles and cars that are currently in use in various cities in the nation and Canada. The need is for real alternative transportation to automobiles, and a bike-and-walk trail certainly can co-exist with the tracks along much of the branch line.

LD Freitas
Aptos

Re: Scooters

If someone stole or destroyed Bird scooters, are they destroying or stealing private property? Is it a crime? If I left a bunch of my things all over the city, and gave everyone instructions on how to use my stuff, can I expect the city to guard my stuff? Iโ€™m curious what sort of weird precedents will come from legal battles on this topic.

โ€” ย Peter

My wife and I rented these in Jack London Square in Oakland last month, and went around Lake Merritt. Though we were on paths most of the time, we did have to get into a bit of traffic. These things do not have shocks, and they donโ€™t provide you helmets, though everything you signed releases liability of an accident. But donโ€™t hit a pothole! They can reach up to 18 miles an hour, so they tend to tick off pedestrians if youโ€™re at the higher speeds. Especially on West Cliff, if we started mixing up electric scooters, too many Jump bikes, pedestrians, dog walkers with leashes, joggers and baby carts, we are going to have more accidents and aggression on what should otherwise be a lovely stroll. I am super all for these alternative forms of transportation, but we need designated paths for them instead. Thereโ€™s enough aggression on the roads between anybody who drives these days, whereas walking on the cliffs should be relaxing. Often, Jump bikes are ridden by tourists, that donโ€™t have a lot of regard for pedestrians. Iโ€™d like to see them off heavily traffic paths, as theyโ€™re too fast here.

โ€” Brian Anderson


PHOTO CONTEST WINNER

Submit to ph****@*******es.sc. Include information (location, etc.) and your name. Photos may be cropped. Preferably, photos should be 4 inches by 4 inches and minimum 250dpi.


GOOD IDEA

It can be difficult to keep track of all the Santa Cruz City Council candidates. This year, with 10 individuals running, it may look especially tempting to pick candidates with a dartboard. Lucky for us, Ron Goodman has assembled a surprisingly comprehensive chart of everyone in the race. His chart, available at santacruzcitycouncil.org, lets the candidates respond to 13 different questions. Some candidates declined to answer certain questions, and some responses make more sense than others, but itโ€™s a great starting place.


GOOD WORK

The Santa Cruz American Association of University Women (AAUW) just celebrated the 20th Anniversary of its Tech Trek program with a Seascape luncheon. The weeklong camp targets middle school girls who might otherwise not be encouraged to pursue science or math. Six girls have earned scholarships for the upcoming summer, when theyโ€™ll learn about marine biology, coding and forensics. The local branch has been raising money to send seventh-grade girls to camp since 1989. To learn more, visit santacruz-ca.aauw.net or email je*************@*****il.com.


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

โ€œIโ€™m concerned more about the death of a bee than I am about terrorism. Because we’re losing hives and bees by the millions because of such strong pesticides.โ€

-Patti Smith

Libra โ€“ Creating Balance: Risaโ€™s Starโ€™s Sept. 26-Oct. 2

We are in Libra now, sign of seeking balance and harmony, sign of relationships (โ€œI and Thouโ€) and of equal receiving and giving.

Libra offers humanity an Interlude, a time to choose; a direction is taken, and this choice determines our future. Libra is Ray 3 (Divine and Active Intelligence, actions, the economy). Libra enters our world in between the ages (2,500 years long), a time of great transition. Each age calls humanity to cultivate a new developmental stage.

We are presently between the Ages of Pisces (Rays 2 and 6) and Aquarius (Rays 5 and 7). Note the loving even-numbered Rays of Pisces and the intelligent odd numbered Rays of Aquariusโ€”two different worlds, two purposes, one following the other. In between the ages the world turns upside down, there is tumult and travail. There is a pull to maintain the past (which must fall away) and a pull toward the future. Note: the heavens (planets, stars, etc.) support the future movement.

In between the ages, Libra streams into our world, helping us with balance, helping us view our collective experience and its outcome with spiritual intelligence. We are in a most important crisis at this time, not unlike the crisis that preceded the Atlantean floods. Both the change of the ages and Libra itself stimulate in humanity a crisis of balance. This means we are given two polarities, and we must choose between the two. They are two opposing forcesโ€“representing old ways/beliefs and the new uncharted ways of knowledge, the new era. One must be surrendered for the other (example: personality to the Soul).

It is the Libran task of choosing which leads humanity to the crisis, moving us from a state of chaos to a state of self-direction, equilibrium and balanceโ€”and finally, if we choose rightly, to harmony. So the question these days is what are we choosing? (For continuous daily esoteric and astrological studies, see my Facebook page.)

ARIES: You will find yourself becoming more aware of relationships, how you behave in them, your give and take, what energies you place in relationships and how you experience them. Thus, intimate interactions become a focused level of learning via commitments, marriage, business partnership. Everything good and bad comes out in relationships so that we can learn about ourselves and find love along the way. Love underlies everything.

TAURUS: Work, acts of service, small animals, tending and caring for the self, the area in which we earn money every day are in focus. Your ability to think, discern and discriminate become refined, enhanced, expanded and perfected. Tend carefully to daily workings, agendas, digestion, health, hygiene and nutrition. Remember that our work is to bring us joy.

GEMINI: There is a great need for you to feel love and care from another. Love allows you to bring forth your deepest self-expression and hidden creativity. We are all at one time or another like children. And like children we learn to be comfortable with having fun, learning how to be dramatic, gathering hobbies, having play and amusement. What would these be for you? Tell the one(s) you love about them. Invite them to lay with you.

CANCER: It is good to recognize where on the planet and with whom you feel a sense of belonging and have the capacity to receive nurturance. So often we live within a state of difficulty and alienation. Adults, like children, continue to need nourishment in the form of a sense of security, being cherished, encouraged and cared for. When these are supplied, Cancer doesnโ€™t need to retreat into its shell so often. Where and with whom do you feel safe?

LEO: When we are given true information, then we have true understanding. You seek your true community. Maybe that is siblings or neighbors, maybe you find friends on short journeys through emails, letters, textsโ€”or maybe even through rumors. You have deep rational thinking and want to educate people about harmony, balance and how to serve and care for the other kingdomsโ€”animal, plant and the Earth itself. Take daily walks around the neighborhood. Thereโ€™s something to discover there.

VIRGO: All of your values will come into focus. Inner resources and outer resources. Becoming aware of values allows for a greater sense of self-awareness. As you feel so many emotions, there will be an attempt to bring a balance into and poise to all responses. We become what we value. Our values are what we are attracted to, what we are attached to, what we love. Know that whatever you focus upon, think and talk about, you also attract. We also become what we praise.

LIBRA: How you look, dress, act and speak will have profound effect on those around you. Your communications, therefore, should be chosen very carefully. You are definitely a thinker. Not everyone has the ability to think with logic or clarity. Always you must have beauty around you, or your energy level lessens and falls away. You may need more rest each day, more sleep each night. Is that possible? Neptune calls you to dream more, too.

SCORPIO: Careful to maintain balance and poise. I say this because you also may be feeling impulsive, a bit aggressive and idealistic. You may act a bit like an adolescent for a while. Romance may be a bit vague. Itโ€™s important to have spontaneity whatever you do. But not to overdo it. The play of conquest is very tempting. Christianity refers to temptation as โ€œjezebel.โ€ So many things are tempting these days. You can be part of the game of love. But make no final decisions. Read Tagore.

SAGITTARIUS: Perhaps you have collected a great circle of friends and acquaintances. All from different areas of life. You like to have many choices and you like whatโ€™s unconventional. Your self-expressions are very artistic. Sometimes itโ€™s hard to show feelings and emotions. Try not to be aloof in personal relationships when feeling hurt. Communicate instead with truthfulness. Be willing to sacrifice pride in order to be understood. Religion, prayers, like-minded groups, resources and friends are most important these days. Tend to them with care.

CAPRICORN: You want to use your mind, your days and your time in practical ways. Yet you want to also have visions and time to contemplate. Here are some of your exceptional virtues. You are cautious, persevering, careful, serious, reserved, pragmatic, organized, discriminating, resourceful, somewhat traditional, aware of limits and very responsible. Love is in there, too. When we bring our virtues out into the world, we step upon the Path of Holiness, called the Golden Path. Golden light everywhere.

AQUARIUS: Your mind roves here and there. Itโ€™s a very versatile mind that aspires, and is often restless. You need to explore, travel, have intellectual stimulation. You attempt to understand very deep principles of life. The outdoors is a source of vitality for you. A new pathway is forming towards your future. Stay open to new possibilities. Your heart heals.

PISCES: More and more, your intuitive faculties come forth. At times, the information flowing into your mind can be forceful. Your physical body can feel its intensity. Use this force as a resource to understand others. It can be penetrating and dynamic offering answers to mysteries, revealing the essence of events and the psychology of others. Use this gift with care. Only to you has it been given. There is no why. There is simply the gift.

Rob Breznyโ€™s Astrology Sept 26-Oct 2

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Free will astrology for the week of Sept. 26, 2018.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do you have any skills at living on the edge between the light and the dark? Are you curious about what the world might look like and how people would treat you if you refused to divide everything up into that which helps you and that which doesnโ€™t help you? Can you imagine how it would feel if you loved your life just the way it is and not wish it were different from what it is? Please note: people less courageous than you might prefer you to be less courageous. But I hope youโ€™ll stay true to the experiment of living on the edge between the light and the dark.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to Popbitch.com, most top-charting pop songs are in a minor key. In light of this fact, I encourage you to avoid listening to pop songs for the next three weeks. In my astrological opinion, it’s essential that you surround yourself with stimuli that donโ€™t tend to make you sad and blue, that donโ€™t influence you to interpret your experience through a melancholic, mournful filter. To accomplish the assignments that life will be sending you, you need to at least temporarily cultivate a mood of crafty optimism.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini regent Queen Victoria (1819โ€“1901) wore crotchless underwear made of linen. A few years ago, Britainโ€™s Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council accorded them “national designated status,” an official notice that means they are a national treasure. If I had the power, I would give your undergarments an equivalent acknowledgment. The only evidence I would need to make this bold move would be the intelligence and expressiveness with which you are going to wield your erotic sensibilities in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Iโ€™ve taken a break from socializing, my fellow Cancerian. In fact, Iโ€™m on sabbatical from my regular rhythm. My goal for the coming days is to commune with my past and review the story of my life. Rather than fill my brain up with the latest news and celebrity gossip, I am meditating on my own deep dark mysteries. Iโ€™m mining for secrets that I might be concealing from myself. In accordance with the astrological omens, I suggest that you follow my lead. You might want to delve into boxes of old mementos or re-read emails from years ago. You could get in touch with people who are no longer part of your life even though they were once important to you. How else could you get into intimate contact with your eternal self?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Hereโ€™s a quote from A Map of Misreading, a book by renowned literary critic, Harold Bloom: “Where the synecdoche of *tessera* made a totality, however illusive, the metonymy of kenosis breaks this up into discontinuous fragments.” What the cluck did Harold Bloom just say?! Iโ€™m not being anti-intellectual when I declare this passage to be pretentious drivel. In the coming days, I urge you Leos to draw inspiration from my response to Bloom. Tell the truth about nonsense. Donโ€™t pretend to appreciate jumbled or over-complicated ideas. Expose bunk and bombast. Be kind, if you can, but be firm. Youโ€™re primed to be a champion of down-to-earth communication.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A data research company, Priceonomics, suggests that Monday is the most productive day of the week, and that October is the most productive month of the year. My research suggests that while Capricorns tend to be the most consistently productive of all the signs in the zodiac, Virgos often outstrip them for a six-week period during the end of each September and throughout October. Furthermore, my intuition tells me that you Virgos now have an extraordinary capacity to turn good ideas into practical action. I conclude, therefore, that you are about to embark on a surge of industrious and high-quality work. (P.S.: This October has five Mondays.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Biologists are constantly unearthing new species, although not new in the sense of having just appeared on our planet. In fact, theyโ€™re animals and plants that have existed for millennia. But theyโ€™ve never before been noticed and identified by science. Among recent additions to our ever-growing knowledge are an orchid in Madagascar that smells like champagne, an electric blue tarantula in the Guyana rain forest, and a Western Australian grass that has a flavor resembling salt and vinegar potato chips. I suspect youโ€™ll be making metaphorically comparable discoveries in the coming weeks, Libra: evocative beauty that youโ€™ve been blind to and interesting phenomena that have been hiding in plain sight.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There is no such thing as a plant that blooms continuously. Phases of withering and dormancy are just as natural as phases of growth. I bring this fact to your attention to help you remain poised as you go through your own period of withering followed by dormancy. You should accept lifeโ€™s demand that you slow down and explore the mysteries of fallowness. You should surrender sweetly to stasis and enjoy your time of rest and recharging. Thatโ€™s the best way to prepare for the new cycle of growth that will begin in a few weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you were ever going to win a contest that awarded you a free vacation to an exotic sanctuary, it would probably happen during the next three weeks. If a toy company would ever approach you about developing a line of action figures and kidsโ€™ books based on your life, it might also be sometime soon. And if you have ever had hopes of converting your adversaries into allies, or getting support and backing for your good original ideas, or finding unexpected inspiration to fix one of your not-so-good habits, those opportunities are now more likely than they have been for some time.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An 81-year-old Capricorn man named James Harrison has donated his unique blood on 1,173 occasions. Scientists have used it to make medicine that prevents Rhesus disease in unborn babies, thereby healing more than 2.4 million kids and literally saving thousands of lives. I donโ€™t expect you to do anything nearly as remarkable. But I do want to let you know that the coming weeks will be a favorable time to lift your generosity and compassion to the next level. Harrison would serve well as your patron saint.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): On a spring morning some years ago, a smoky aroma woke me from a deep sleep. Peering out my bedroom window into the backyard, I saw that my trickster girlfriend Anastasia had built a bonfire. When I stumbled to my closet to get dressed, I found my clothes missing. There were no garments in my dresser, either. In my groggy haze, I realized that my entire wardrobe had become fuel for Anastasiaโ€™s conflagration. It was too late to intervene, and I was still quite drowsy, so I crawled back in bed to resume snoozing. A while later, I woke to find her standing next to the bed bearing a luxurious breakfast she said sheโ€™d cooked over the flames of my burning clothes. After our meal, we stayed in bed all day, indulging in a variety of riotous fun. Iโ€™m not predicting that similar events will unfold in your life, Aquarius. But you may experience adventures that are almost equally boisterous, hilarious and mysterious.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Iโ€™ve got three teachings for you. 1. Was there a time in your past when bad romance wounded your talent for love? Yes, but you now have more power to heal that wound than youโ€™ve ever had before. 2. Is it possible youโ€™re ready to shed a semi-delicious addiction to a chaotic magic? Yes. Clarity is poised to trump melodrama. Joyous decisiveness is primed to vanquish ingrained sadness. 3. Has there ever been a better time than now to resolve and graduate from past events that have bothered and drained you for a long time? No. This is the best time ever.

Homework: Make two fresh promises to yourself: one thatโ€™s easy to keep and one that’s at the edge of your capacity to live up to.

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